Chacomac's Solar Theories. 17 



from the limit of the mass of solar vapours, they condense 

 themselves into fluids at high temperatures, in which the laws 

 of cohesion approach those of bodies in fusion. In admitting 

 that temperature and pressure increase with depth, we may 

 conceive that the central solar mass finally acquires the perfect 

 condition of a body in fusion. 



"When solar vapours at high temperatures leave the surface, 

 they rapidly ascend to a region in which radiation is energetic, 

 and in the exterior regions of the solar atmosphere they are 

 acted upon by the cold of celestial space. Under these circum- 

 stances condensation and crystallization occur, accompanied 

 with the emission of light. 



M. Ohacornac calls particular attention to the fact, that in 

 the phenomena of spots the gas that seems to escape from the 

 central body dissolves the engulphed portions of the photo- 

 sphere, just as crystals dissolve in a liquid ; but cc in certain 

 cases, when the gaseous central emanations cease to disperse the 

 photospheric matter, and to enlarge the openings in it, it may 

 be seen that engulphed fragments of photospheric matter 

 are augmented in volume, with loss of their incandescence, 

 as if the luminous crystals had become transformed into 

 nebulous vapour, reflecting only the light of the. photo- 

 sphere." 



The gases of the absorbent atmosphere above the incan- 

 descent zone, or those which form aureoles during an eclipse, 

 are not very luminous, as they reflect a large portion of polar- 

 ized light. The incandescent zone limiting the photosphere 

 presents an accumulation of incandescent matters in ignition, 

 and terminating in flames like those proceeding from terrestrial 

 substances burning in air. 



During the eclipse of July 18, 1860, the first objects which 

 M. Chacornac observed beyond the lunar disk were jets of 

 vapour, like those represented by Mr. Poulet Scroope, but 

 with this difference, that instead of exhibiting ascending 

 masses of a globular form, they run like bands with luminous 

 streaks, like bouquets oVartificice, and which spread out in 

 their upper portions as if they had arrived rapidly in a lighter 

 atmosphere. " These vaporous jets corresponded specially 

 with groups of acute cones of incandescent matter, which con- 

 stituted the purple zone surrounding the photosphere." 



M. Ohacornac regards the bodies he terms photospheric 

 crystals as continually forming at certain elevations, and 

 being recondensed into liquids, falling back on the sun as they 

 descend below certain limits of pressure. He also considers 

 that the central liquid mass of the sun, in addition to the 

 emission of vapours, absorbs gases just as melted metals 

 absorb oxygen or oxide of carbon, and that a sudden crystalliza- 

 vol. x. — no. i. c 



